Every Mountain Made Low by Alex White

Nov 26, 2016 Rosemarie Short rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, arc

If I were to try to simplify Every Mountain Made Low, I might say that reading this book is like being submerged in a very cold, very deep vat of water, without any warning, and without knowing how to swim. Be warned now – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend someone read this book for pleasure. It isn’t a beach / poolside paperback. This is some heavy stuff. I’m talking dealing with disabilities, sexual assault, murder, torture…not exactly story hour topics.

Saying that, I really liked this book.

I If I were to try to simplify Every Mountain Made Low, I might say that reading this book is like being submerged in a very cold, very deep vat of water, without any warning, and without knowing how to swim. Be warned now – I wouldn’t necessarily recommend someone read this book for pleasure. It isn’t a beach / poolside paperback. This is some heavy stuff. I’m talking dealing with disabilities, sexual assault, murder, torture…not exactly story hour topics.

Saying that, I really liked this book.

I am always banging on about trying to find something different in the fantasy / sci-fi genre. Well this is certainly different. I found Loxley to be an incredibly compelling heroine – possibly because her autism made her very unpredictable (ironic, perhaps, considering how important predictability and routine is to those with autism). I’ve never read a book in this genre where the main character had learning difficulties and I found the view Loxley gave me as a reader simultaneously painful and fascinating.

Loxley learns a lot of lessons throughout the book. She has to grapple with the idea of bad people being able to do good things (Officer Crutchfield) and good people doing bad things (Nora). She has to explore her sexuality (spoiler; not only does Loxley have autism, she is also gay) and come to terms with the fact that her recently deceased Mother didn’t know everything about the world. All this surrounds a plot centered around vengeance against a religion-obsessed kingpin, determined to overthrow this version of the Government and unafraid to kill those who get in his way.

Her autism not being enough to make her different – Loxley can also see ghosts. These spirits are hideous shades of their former selves, desperate to touch her to regain some sensation of being alive again. If they touch her she suffers crippling pain and, in some special cases, they become a part of her. There was a point at which I wondered whether the seeing ghosts thing was actually all in her head, and that she was actually just experiencing schizophrenia and developing alternate personalities to deal with the trauma of what was going on in her life. However White’s writing seems to definitely point to the ghosts being real – giving her knowledge she couldn’t possibly know when they meld with her. This ability helps her unravel mysteries and brings her to the attention of both the good and the bad – changing her carefully structured life irreparably.

White writes Loxley in a way which I think is uncomfortable and yet also relatable. Having a family member with autism myself, I could see the traits written as being authentic to many autistic people. All signs and symptoms are different, depending on the person, but I found myself alternately being horrified by and enjoying her point of view. She’s not easy to love but she’s difficult to dislike too.

If I were to be critical, my only comment would be that, at over four hundred pages, the book felt just a little heavy. However with so much story to tell, it’s little wonder that the length is what it is.

I would recommend this to the fearless reader, aching for something fresher than the typical YA Fantasy fayre. Steel yourselves though – this isn’t an easy read. It is, however, a worthwhile one. ...more

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Aug 08, 2016 Finn Longman rated it liked it

Shelves: canon-queer-characters, netgalley, books-read-in-2016, reviewed-on-blog, unbury-your-queers

This was... a weird book. I don't really know where to begin with reviewing it, but since it was from NetGalley, I'll do my best and hopefully copy it across to my blog at some point.

This book is weird because it's very hard to explain what it's about. It's hard enough to pin down its genre. There are ghosts, but I wouldn't really call it fantasy. In some ways it's alternate history. It's got a strange, subterranean world hollowed out by miners and within it, a new hierarchy and new set of This was... a weird book. I don't really know where to begin with reviewing it, but since it was from NetGalley, I'll do my best and hopefully copy it across to my blog at some point.

This book is weird because it's very hard to explain what it's about. It's hard enough to pin down its genre. There are ghosts, but I wouldn't really call it fantasy. In some ways it's alternate history. It's got a strange, subterranean world hollowed out by miners and within it, a new hierarchy and new set of rules.

It's also weird because of the way it's told -- much of it from the perspective of Loxley, who doesn't exactly experience the world the way most people do. I read her as potentially autistic for much of the book, but then a character used an insult that's usually used to refer to people with Down's Syndrome, so I'm not sure which it was. From what I know, it seemed more likely that she was autistic, but without that having been explicitly stated, I could be wrong. (Insults are rarely medically accurate, though, and regional use may also vary.) Either way, she has an unconventional perspective and sometimes struggles to process sensory information, making her narrative a little hard to follow because White doesn't shy away from fully immersing the reader in Loxley's mind, however confusing it might be.

For a long while, I wasn't sure if this book had a plot. But it does. It's actually quite a good one, in places, though a little bit mismatched. There are various subplots that I would have liked to see more of -- Loxley as a violinist, for example, though I'm biased when it comes to musician characters. And there was never really an explanation for the supernatural aspect to the book which, while not 100% necessary, is usually something I appreciate. The worldbuilding on the whole felt somewhat incomplete, which contributed to my uncertainty with the first half of the book -- I was disoriented, and couldn't find quite enough plot threads to cling onto while I found my feet. However, I got there in the end, and things come together quite effectively. It might possibly have been better if they'd got there faster, as I considered putting the book down earlier on, but in the end I was glad I didn't.

The writing didn't blow my mind (though I have high standards so that isn't unexpected), but it's effective. There was a clear difference between Loxley's perspective and others', and though her "condition" was never named or properly identified, the narration was emotive enough to make it clear how it affected her and her perception. It was interesting to have a neurodivergent protagonist whose story is not about their condition (I use that word because the characters did and because I don't know exactly what Loxley had): she's going about her protagonist business, but with the added layer of being terrified by certain sensations and situations, and not really understanding how to interact with people around her. It was also intriguing how that crossed over with the supernatural element of things, though it was unclear whether that was genuinely real or if it was in Loxley's head. It seemed to be the former, but no one else saw it, so it's hard to be certain.

I didn't exactly enjoy the book, because I spent quite a lot of it feeling like I was outside the story and couldn't get fully immersed until I understood more about the world and what was going on. However, it definitely grew on me, and I was glad I decided against marking it as a DNF. As I said before, the plot did come together for an effective ending, and I haven't even mentioned that it has a significant f/f relationship that doesn't end in tragedy -- remarkable, really, that that hasn't come up in the review more. I guess my anti-sex filter was set a bit too high, because I didn't get overly invested in it: it was largely physical, which doesn't interest me, though there was an emotional component too that I could appreciate.

Anyway, I should probably offer some trigger warnings for the book. There's some attempted rape, some brutal murder, and some reasonably explicit sex, any or all of which may put off some readers. There is also a fair bit of bad language including ableist insults directed at Loxley (not unexpected, given the alt-history setting), so if words like 'retard' and 'mongoloid' make you uncomfortable, it might be better to give this one a miss.

So while I won't be pressing this on everyone I meet, it ended up surpassing the expectations created by the first couple of chapters, and I'd probably rate it 2.5 or 3 stars. ...more

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Aug 25, 2016 Kagama-the Literaturevixen rated it did not like it

Shelves: requested-from-netgalley

I got this ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Not for me I am afraid.

Loxley is a young woman with a disability. Autism maybe. She can also see ghosts.Her mother told her it was in their blood.Of course her mother is dead now and Loxley is alone left to fend for herself against the living and the dead.

"Her mother could see the recently dead . Her mother said all the women of Loxley’s family could see them , but that had never been demonstrated because she’d had never met any of her ...more

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Nov 16, 2016 Christopher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thought Every Mountain Made Low was well-written, with an interesting alternate history setting, a unique protagonist, and some compelling characters. The book was a bit confusing at times, but I believed that to be intentional based on the main character's difficulty relating to the world around her (she's clearly somewhere on the autism spectrum). I did at first find this viewpoint frustrating, but that wore off.

Loxley, the protagonist, spends a lot of time behaving in ways that are I thought Every Mountain Made Low was well-written, with an interesting alternate history setting, a unique protagonist, and some compelling characters. The book was a bit confusing at times, but I believed that to be intentional based on the main character's difficulty relating to the world around her (she's clearly somewhere on the autism spectrum). I did at first find this viewpoint frustrating, but that wore off.

Loxley, the protagonist, spends a lot of time behaving in ways that are frustrating to the reader, because they're not the ways in which "normal" people would react to a given situation. She is brusque, loses focus rapidly, and has little capability to understand the nuances of conversation or body language. I was very much reminded of the main character in Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, who is also autistic (though that's about where the similarities between the books end). I found that book difficult to read at first, too, but like with Every Mountain Made Low, came around on it as I began to accept the hero's differences and reshape my thinking.

The plot itself moves along rapidly and remains pretty coherent, once you accept the supernatural elements. The book's a little short, which means that most of the characters get a bit of a short shrift -- there might be too many for a novel this size. I found the revelation of what happens when Loxley allows ghosts to interact with her compelling, and I enjoyed seeing her dealing with other characters, human and not-so-human (Tailypo is a fascinating character and I deeply wish the book had developed him more). The action was satisfying, the world-building enjoyable, and the writing itself is solid.

I'm startled by the scores this book is receiving. I can understand some of the complaints, but one star frankly feels tremendously harsh to me -- I reserve that kind of score for things that are terribly written and make me wonder how the hell they ever got published. Every Mountain Made Low is nowhere near that level. This book rewards the effort one makes to understand the protagonist's point of view and to join her on her journey. I hope we haven't seen the last of her. ...more

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Aug 25, 2016 Andria rated it did not like it

This one didn't work for me, unfortunately.

Loxley, a girl who suffers from a mental affliction, is left alone in the world after her mother dies. She works multiple jobs in the hopes of one day owning her own personal farm. Those dreams are put on hold when her best friend (and first love?) Nora is murdered. As Loxley's life spirals out of control, revenge becomes her new focus.

(view spoiler) This one didn't work for me, unfortunately.

Loxley, a girl who suffers from a mental affliction, is left alone in the world after her mother dies. She works multiple jobs in the hopes of one day owning her own personal farm. Those dreams are put on hold when her best friend (and first love?) Nora is murdered. As Loxley's life spirals out of control, revenge becomes her new focus.

(view spoiler)

I'm not sure how I feel about any of this. That's a disheartening reaction after reading a 400-page book. I love dystopian novels, novels about ghosts, and novels that expose me to different perspectives and walks of life. This one just didn't work for me. I wish I'd been given the opportunity to know and care about this world more. I feel like there's a great story here. I just wasn't able to get to it.

Thank you, Solaris, for the ARC. I was given an advanced copy through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jun 27, 2017 Emily Adams rated it it was amazing

In one word: incredible.

In many words: this book is for anyone who likes the unordinary and strange. Over time, you get to know the protagonist like you would a friend. She is like an onion, with each layer you love her a little bit deeper. Through her eyes you will understand what autism can feel like and that, while different, she is as strong (if not stronger), intelligent, and capable as those without autism.

I fully enjoyed following her through the craziness that became her life and I ...more

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Dec 27, 2016 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: digital-copy

Well... that was weird. In a world where every other novel feels like a copy of that one other novel you read one or two or ten years ago, finding a story so damn original was overwhelming. Its inventiveness doesn't always work well, but there are many great things to rescue from it.
Loxley is a compelling character. Everything about her is endlessly interesting: she's a gay woman with some unspecified mental disability who works as a farmer, market seller, street musician and as assistant to an Well... that was weird. In a world where every other novel feels like a copy of that one other novel you read one or two or ten years ago, finding a story so damn original was overwhelming. Its inventiveness doesn't always work well, but there are many great things to rescue from it.
Loxley is a compelling character. Everything about her is endlessly interesting: she's a gay woman with some unspecified mental disability who works as a farmer, market seller, street musician and as assistant to an apothecary in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian city. Oh, and she is able to see ghosts, and acquire their skills and knowledge by touching them. She is pretty much a full story on her own.
But then, the story takes her down a path of murder and revenge, politics, mobsters and an ill placed romance. It's not that any of those are bad, per se, it's just that they're too much.

The first few pages can be incredibly frustrating, since you're trying to understand Loxley and the way she views her unfamiliar and confusing world, and when you're finally getting accustomed to it, the perspective suddenly changes to Nora's, which is like a breath of fresh air.
Then the main conflict begins, and the narrative takes of, leaving you behind, utterly perplexed. Catching up is complicated, since you're suddenly changing from a ghost-possession situation to a high speed chase through an urban steampunk-ish landscape, wondering all the time wether Loxley's descriptions are literal or metaphorical. It's madness.
Thus, while the main character and the setting are incredibly interesting, the story ends up being underwhelming, and it almost gets in the way of Loxley's potential. Sure, a good revenge story is always nice to read, but it just didn't seem like the sort of task you set for the girl who starts her story feeling terrified of loud noises.
I don't mean to say that Loxley's exploits are beyond her capabilities, but that her character development felt rushed and unexplored. Even the 'little things', like her romance with Jayla, would've been so much more enjoyable if it had been properly paced.
(I believe the whole story takes place in less than a month? I might be wrong, but I read it like that and that's why I disliked the pacing).

In the end, the one and only reason I enjoyed this book was Loxley. Once I got accustomed to her, reading her was a delight. She is scared, confused and overwhelmed most of the time, but she never stops pushing forward. She is insulted, underestimated and hurt by most of the people she meets, but even when she feels doubt she keeps going, and eventually finds people who are willing to see her for who she is.
Loxley is worth 5 stars, but I knocked one star down because of the whole mess that Tailypo, Duke and Hiram are. They were just annoying.

...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Donald Richter rated it it was amazing

The story is dark and rich, the characters full bodied and relate-able. Their struggles even more so. There is so much I could say about this, but I feel as though any discussion runs the risk of spoiling the exceptionally crafted twists and turns White has built.

As a reader I am usually pretty picky about the things I pick up and invest my time into. So to be honest when I first grabbed a copy of this I was hesitant. By the 5th page, I was glued. I'm not a terribly fast reader as I'm used to ...more

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Jan 20, 2017 Daytrpa rated it really liked it

Unsettling but intriguing

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Jan 30, 2020 G. Deyke rated it really liked it

First things first: the back cover summary is full of lies. Loxley does not suffer from crippling anxiety by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, she's barely even anxious at all (though she is sometimes justifiably afraid).

What she actually is: autistic. Also she presumably has Down syndrome, though the only real indication of that is in the particular flavour of slurs hurled at her. That this is marketed as anxiety is honestly shameful. Not a flaw in the book, certainly, but a definite First things first: the back cover summary is full of lies. Loxley does not suffer from crippling anxiety by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, she's barely even anxious at all (though she is sometimes justifiably afraid).

What she actually is: autistic. Also she presumably has Down syndrome, though the only real indication of that is in the particular flavour of slurs hurled at her. That this is marketed as anxiety is honestly shameful. Not a flaw in the book, certainly, but a definite flaw in the publisher.

Loxley pretty much carries the book, in my opinion. The setting is a gritty capitalist dystopia, the plot is a fairly standard murder-revenge sort of thing, there's some cool stuff going on with ghosts and one entity that's more than a ghost; but in the end, the real appeal of the book is seeing Loxley navigate it.

Loxley is clearly, visibly disabled. Other characters react to her with bigotry, pity, and occasionally fear, and she has serious difficulties with communication and sensory overload. Her disability is in no way minimised. And yet... she has a ton of agency, she's assertive, determined, bold, successful. She's allowed to be aggressive, even violent, in a way that's usually reserved for abled white male action heroes in similar narratives. She's allowed to be sexual, which doesn't do much for me personally but I nonetheless recognise as deeply important. And it's beautifully done: the narration fits perfectly into her perspective, making no concessions for allistic readers. For Loxley alone, Every Mountain Made Low was a delight to read.

(Honestly, it reads a bit like a wish fulfillment fantasy - which, because it's handled with nuance and care, is absolutely something we need more of. First time I've read something that reads like an obvious wish fulfillment fantasy and actually applies, this well anyway.)

Selling points: awesome autistic representation in the protagonist, presumably coupled with Down syndrome; lesbian protagonist; bisexual representation; excellent voice; some cool stuff with ghosts and perspectives and suchlike; Loxley is super awesome.

Warning points: heavy use of ableist slurs; sexual assault / attempted rape; sex scenes (consensual); really not great on the race front (Loxley begins the book with racism inherited from her mother, and ends the book significantly less racist, but her racism feels a bit gratuitous and is never really addressed - certainly not to the extent that it should be - while sympathetic black characters take on supporting roles and make sacrifices to help her out). ...more

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Sep 21, 2016 Chris rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

Every Mountain Made Low is a sci-fi novel from Alex White. It takes place in a town-within-a-mountain, somewhere in a slightly alternate Alabama, following a protagonist with a somewhat unique perspective, as she attempts to avenge a murder, and, preferably, survive.

The world the reader is thrown into is a heavily stratified one, geographically and socially. The population appear to live in concentric rings within a mountain which is itself being *copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*

Every Mountain Made Low is a sci-fi novel from Alex White. It takes place in a town-within-a-mountain, somewhere in a slightly alternate Alabama, following a protagonist with a somewhat unique perspective, as she attempts to avenge a murder, and, preferably, survive.

The world the reader is thrown into is a heavily stratified one, geographically and socially. The population appear to live in concentric rings within a mountain which is itself being mined for ore. Each ring closer to the floor of the workings also seems to indicate a drop in social class. The higher rings are populated by foremen, engineers and technical specialists, or, even further up, by corporate presidents. The lower rings are filled with workers, slumlords, the baffled and the dispossessed. Those working the mines are protected at shift change by armed guards – though they seem to serve the dual purpose of protecting the miners and effectively restraining them.

This towering society, delving into the pit, is a part of something larger, rising out of Alabama. There are other cities – Jacksonville, Atlanta – within reach, though all seem to be under the nominal authority of “The Con”, a sprawling corporation which effectively owns the continental United States. The Con are ruthless and exploitative, driving their own agenda of profit without much in the way of mercy. For all that though, they’re a part of a thriving urban ecosystem, and the brief piece of their history that is mentioned is one I’d like to see explored further.

Near the bottom of the creaking machinery that drives the Hole is our protagonist, Loxley. I’ve got to give points to the author for providing us with a protagonist with a very distinct point of view, and maintaining that distinction throughout the text. Loxley is certainly different from other people. She doesn’t cope well with loud noises or crowds, and isn’t very good at reading expressions, or decoding speech where the tone, words and meaning are in opposition. She is not, however, as she insists herself, a stupid person – understanding the world within her constraints very well.

It’s difficult to explain how impressed I was with this as a narrative device. It’s a tricky read, but the author provides us a set of eyes which do not see entirely as one might expect, but maintain their own consistency. As the book progressed, I found I could follow Loxley’s state of mind, see her objections as she attempted to parse details from her environment. This is a tip-top portrayal of a complex individual, with a distinct way of seeing the world – and the text is no less compelling (and perhaps more so) for having attempted to provide this view.

Then there’s the fact that Loxley can see ghosts. These fetid, rather unpleasant creatures seem to surface from the bodies of the recently deceased, where they suffered a violent death. They don’t seem to like Loxley much, either – interacting with them seems to give great pain to her, but they seem very keen to reach out to her, in the same way that cats play with a lone mouse.

Loxley’s backed up by a supporting cast who run the gamut of what we might think of as standard points of view. Of particular note is her friend Nora, a sharp tongued pragmatist with a gift for self-examination, and a larger gift for sating the wrong thing at the wrong time. Nora is sometimes caustic, damaged, and very well aware of her position in the hierarchy of the Hole. There were a few moments where she seemed to have lapses of judgment that served the story rather than the character, but these did fit into an existing framework of decisions, and so there wasn’t much to complain about.

The antagonists – well, one of them receives rather a lot of character detail. In contrast to Loxley, who changes a little over the course of the text, becoming more accepting of others, and smoothing out the jangles surrounding her perception of the world, this individual doesn’t change much at all. But there’s a smooth coolness to each of their scenes, a calm, focused viciousness which is rather unnerving. Still, it would have been great to see more of them, as well as thecauses and individuals they answered to. There’s enough here to build animosity, and enough complexity on display that the antagonists aren’t simply paper targets – but a few more paragraphs here and there would have been, if not useful, certainly intriguing.

The plot begins with our introduction to Loxley, but quickly becomes a rather fraught tale of murder, investigation and revenge. The first half does take a bit of getting into, it’s definitely a slow burn – but once I was on board with Loxley and her world, I found it very difficult to put down. The second act carries a raft of tension and implications, and if the dénouement was perhaps to be expected, it was nonetheless well crafted.

Is it worth reading? I think the unique perspective of the protagonist may make it a struggle in some cases, and I’d suggest reading a sample first, if you can. But if the prose works for you, then the world and characters are vivid and interesting, and perhaps a little different from anything else available right now. It’s a good story, in a world I want to see more of, with an ambitiously portrayed main character – I enjoyed it, and I’d recommend you give it a try, to see if you do as well.
...more

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Nov 25, 2016 Daisy rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-and-proof-copies, diversity

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook for review

Every Mountain Made Low was, for the most part, very enjoyable. It's only really just occurring to me how strange that title is; there's no clear link to the story, and the general atmosphere it suggests doesn't suit this book. Nonetheless, White had an engaging premise, a great protagonist and executed his story very well in places - but overall, I can't help feeling that this novel didn't Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

◆ Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook for review ◆

Every Mountain Made Low was, for the most part, very enjoyable. It's only really just occurring to me how strange that title is; there's no clear link to the story, and the general atmosphere it suggests doesn't suit this book. Nonetheless, White had an engaging premise, a great protagonist and executed his story very well in places - but overall, I can't help feeling that this novel didn't reach its full potential, both in storyline and style. Towards the end, I got the feeling that a word count was trying to be met, rather than the tide of the story naturally taking White along to the end.

White's writing style was generally unremarkable, but concise enough to leave the reader open to engage with the storyline. I often struggle to find something to talk about when there's nothing blatant to praise or criticise in the style of prose, but actually the fact that I was able to fall so easily into the story White was trying to tell is a huge strength of the book in itself.

Every Mountain Made Low has a pretty standard crime-based storyline, but with an added twist of ghosts. When I first read the description of this book on NetGalley, that was certainly something that stuck out to me. In the end, it ended up being less of a key concept and more of a little flavour to the action scenes - when I mentioned that this book didn't reach its full potential, this was definitely one of the things that could've been utilised better. The whole flow of White's ideas could've improved from a little more work, but there was a solid enough world holding things together that it was still enjoyable.
When I began this book my immediate thought was 'five stars, I love it.' From there on certain things happened that I wasn't so happy with, and then a really good part came up again and I was continually switching between five and four stars (and sometimes three, I'll be honest). I was still pretty undecided three-quarters in as to how to rate this book, but then the downward spiral started to come undone. The biggest weakness of this book is that it loses its steam towards the ends: where the beginning had been overall quite slow in worldbuilding, character development and events, the end suddenly had so much condensed into a much smaller space. Normally this wouldn't have torn down a book so much for me, but the momentum of the initial engagement had just run out by that time. Suddenly characters felt very inconsistent past Loxley and there were huge jumps in relationship dynamics in favour of getting to the end of the plot. The conclusion definitely dragged on longer than we needed for how quickly things felt like they were wrapped up. I felt like I'd missed two or three chapters right in the middle of the book where everything should've been properly transitioned into the approach of the climax. Instead, we go from the 'everyday' - however horrible and strange that is for Loxley - into the concluding sequences, when really we needed just a little bit more establishing of where we were headed.

If we're talking about the characters in this book, Loxley is really all the focus you have. Don't get me wrong, there's a whole host of various different people, but no one is really given that much attention in terms of development as our protagonist is. Understandably, I'll admit, because Loxley is a brilliant portrayal of a strong character with a learning disability - something I've come across maybe twice before in my many years of reading. As someone who doesn't know that much about learning disabilities (and so doesn't want to assume Loxley has autism as opposed to another learning disability), the narration did a really good job of showing how Loxley reacts to things is perfectly understandable from her perspective, but points out where other people just don't understand her. Manipulation and general ignorance towards her disability were also shown pretty well, I think, and White intertwined it all quite naturally within the primarily crime-based storyline.

A sort of dystopian meets crime thriller ghost story, Every Mountain Made Low is a very interesting addition to bookshelves. I haven't seen such unflinching diversity for a while, and it was so nice to read about characters who aren't in the mainstream but don't even really ponder on the fact that they aren't. Though things drifted off towards the end for me, I enjoyed reading it for the most part and think the adult crime genre will welcome it happily. ...more

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Sep 27, 2017 Katie Greenwood rated it it was ok

**Actual rating - 2.5**

This book was not for me. It took me an absolute age to read. The plot was utterly insane and I didn't particularly like any of the characters. I still, to this day can't explain the plot nor the motivations behind it. There were an awful lot of elements to this novel, it was dystopian in the construction of the setting, yet it was meant to be set during the 1980's, the main character had social anxiety and autism but could also see ghosts. Loxley, the aforementioned main ...more

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Oct 26, 2016 Maryam rated it liked it

Shelves: dystopia, annoying-main-character, horror, confusing, netgalley, 2016

Review originally published on The Curious SFF Reader

Well I am usually bad at writing book synopsis but this book isn't making the process easier. I don't even know the genre of this story, it is dealing with issues like disablity and Down syndrome, it has elements of horror (the main characters sees ghosts and can host their spirit), it's also dealing with dystopian society (a huge corporation is managing the country and people are put in extremely rigid class system)

. The plot is also pretty Review originally published on The Curious SFF Reader

Well I am usually bad at writing book synopsis but this book isn't making the process easier. I don't even know the genre of this story, it is dealing with issues like disablity and Down syndrome, it has elements of horror (the main characters sees ghosts and can host their spirit), it's also dealing with dystopian society (a huge corporation is managing the country and people are put in extremely rigid class system)

. The plot is also pretty odd because in the first third of the book, we only follow the daily life of Loxley, the main character who seems to be autistic, and her interaction with the world. Because of her condition, Loxley is a pretty unreliable narrator and she has issues dealing with other people and that can make her interactions with other people fairly cringy. Almost everyone is a douche with her, calling her « retarted » and « dumb » all the time and it was really hard for me to read about because I wanted to punch them or just take Loxley away so that she could be left alone. I know this type of behaviour exists in real life against people with disability, poor people, refugees or just people who are different but it's still hard for me to read about bullies like this.

If people being douche to other people is something that you don't like reading about, this is going to upset you.

The plot is thin, it's not uninteresting but it's not particularly amazing in anyway. Basically, the only adult in Loxley's life that isn't a complete asshole to her, Nora, is murdered and Loxley wants to find the culprit and kill him. As much as the plot wasn't anything new, I was intrigued enough by the characters and the world to continue on. I would have liked the book more if the worldbuilding was a little more coherent and explained. That might have been because the story was narrated by Loxley but I didn't feel that the world felt real. It felt like we only knew a small portion of the world and that the other part just didn't matter. Then again, I think that it was explained by Loxley POV. She didn't care about the rest of the world so she couldn't bring herself to talk about it and she only threw some hints on what was happening out there. It was the author bias but still, I wanted more.

The writing was quite straightforward, it didn't blew me away but it fitted the tone of the story perfectly which was a good thing.

Overall, I can't say that I enjoyed the book but, I really don't think that it's meant to be enjoyed if that makes any senses. I was intrigued by it but it left me a bit confused. I never really grasped what the author was trying to do (if anything) and I can't really find any « targeted public ». I mean usually when I don't like a book, I can at least see who could appreciate it or for which public it was written but, with this book, I have no clue! I wouldn't especially recommend it to anyone, if you want to give a try, please do but otherwise, I don't see myself pushing this in any hands ! ...more

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Sep 28, 2017 Shannon rated it did not like it

After investing in 200 pages I still did not have any warm feelings for Loxley. Skimmed about 30 more & after that-still 150+ to go so I said FORGET IT. So many interactions between characters & Loxley were basically: You're a retard. I am not! (Author's wording not mine.) Tiring & boring.

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Dec 31, 2016 Scott rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Every Mountain Made Low is a supernatural thriller about a young woman, autistic and suffering from crippling social anxiety, who can see ghosts. The book takes place in the 1980s, but has an alternate history from ours. Loxley Fiddleback lives in a massive city composed of nine stacked rings (which may be an obvious metaphor or just a cute reference), with the wealthy at the top and the lower levels being poor and crime-ridden. When her only friend is murdered, she vows revenge, but how does ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Justin rated it liked it

Shelves: finished-2016, review-book

This was one of those books that snuck up on me. I went in cold not quite knowing what to expect. White has created an incredible world of status through the rings within the world. It was a risk making Loxley be autistic as she is often abused by her boss and by the ghosts that she can see. As a reader, this made me a bit uncomfortable if I am being honest. Abuse in any form to female characters is difficult, it amped up due to the Loxley character. I felt tense reading the book. Other than ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Jesse rated it liked it

Not bad. Nice to see a gay lead in a ubran fantasy-like novel.

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Sep 27, 2019 Ransom Stephens rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews-from-a-novelist-s-perspecti

I read Alex White’s Every Mountain Made Low for two reasons: First, I was scheduled to be on a panel with them (Alex’s preferred pronoun) and I like to shock other panelists by being familiar with their work. Second, Alex and I have the same literary agent so I wanted to peek over their shoulder.

Like Turtles All the Way Down and How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, Every Mountain Made Low puts the reader in the PoV of someone who is atypical. In this case, Loxley Fiddleback is an autistic I read Alex White’s Every Mountain Made Low for two reasons: First, I was scheduled to be on a panel with them (Alex’s preferred pronoun) and I like to shock other panelists by being familiar with their work. Second, Alex and I have the same literary agent so I wanted to peek over their shoulder.

Like Turtles All the Way Down and How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, Every Mountain Made Low puts the reader in the PoV of someone who is atypical. In this case, Loxley Fiddleback is an autistic girl. Loxley’s struggles are brilliantly portrayed and, based on the neuroscience I learned while writing Left Brain Speaks, the Right Brain Laughs: A Look at the Neuroscience of Innovation Creativity in Art, Science Life, accurate right down to the punctuation. Sure, the book has a Stephen King level McGuffin--Loxley can see the dead and the dead can see her, too--but Loxley’s interactions with the world and, even more, the world’s interactions with Loxley, hit all the notes in the autistic symphony: she takes the words of others literally, doesn’t recognize social cues, demonstrates massive anxiety, and is confused and overwhelmed by too much sensory input.

What Every Mountain Made Low has in common with Turtles All the Way Down and How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets is our experience in Loxley’s point of view (PoV) as others treat her as though she’s stupid or insane or ignore her altogether.

In portraying a character on the autism spectrum, really putting us in her head, Every Mountain Made Low has the buzz of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Like Mark Haddon’s character, Christopher John Francis Boone, Loxley is thrust into the role of a detective. Other than that, the books are not similar. Every Mountain is set in a cutthroat, dystopian urban setting built from the bowels of a huge mine. There’s nothing precious or cute about it. We’re thrust into the complexity of Loxley’s life. Some reader reviewers didn’t like Loxley enough to cheer for her, but I did. She’s trying to survive in impossible conditions and that added to my sympathy for her.

Another interesting diversion from Curious Incident was that Alex wrote the whole book from Loxley’s PoV, but in the third person, whereas Haddon wrote Curious Incident from the first person. I sent Alex an email asking why he went with the third person and they said that they didn’t want it to feel “hokey.” I think they made the right decision for the setting of this book. It’s not, after all, set in a tidy suburban neighborhood; it’s gritty and we need to see that world with a bit of the distance that writers can get by using the third person while still retaining the ability to move in close and intimate to the character’s PoV.

< Frammice the rest of the way down >
And finally, if you’d like to receive my famous* Ransom’s Notes, sign up here.
(*they’re not really famous). ...more

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Apr 30, 2018 Supified rated it really liked it

Every Mountain Made Low was written by Alex White, who also wrote The Gearheart. I expect many of the initial readers of this book came to it from the Gearheart. Alex has demonstrated a brilliant eye for fascinating worlds that tease the imagination and colorful characters. If you read his previous work, which you should because it is free, then you already have a sense of what to expect. However this book is different from his other work, where as Gearheart was an adult aimed steam punk Every Mountain Made Low was written by Alex White, who also wrote The Gearheart. I expect many of the initial readers of this book came to it from the Gearheart. Alex has demonstrated a brilliant eye for fascinating worlds that tease the imagination and colorful characters. If you read his previous work, which you should because it is free, then you already have a sense of what to expect. However this book is different from his other work, where as Gearheart was an adult aimed steam punk adventure, this one turns the maturity up and the campy action down. There is a trigger warning that this book includes a scene of sexual assault, but it is handled with respect. I’ll try to avoid other spoilers.

There are a few guidelines in writing that seem to exist in every book that is truly stellar and one of the big ones is having a foundation or a core to a story. These concepts, or principals, or morals, whatever you want to call it, make the story conform to the subject matter it is trying to convey. The best stories will often have one that is inescapable and sometimes may have more than one idea it is conveying. This book seemed to be saying Don’t Deal with the Devil! With several clone characters, that is characters that share story arcs or traits or other similarities, that explores this very notion. This touch was excellent and really tied the whole story together from start to finish.

In the intro, I mention colorful cast of characters, but in this book Alex really outdoes himself. There are a very different cast that few authors have ever tried. Loxely in particular is rare as a lead, but the talent in which Alex displays in getting into her head and making her feel real was just outstanding. Each character has their own voice, but considering how wildly different they are, this should not surprise. It takes a skilled author to pull this off, but by including the character themes he does, Alex shows talent few other authors could probably tackle.

Many relevant issues end up being discussed in the story, with almost none taken for granted. What is morality, and can good people do bad things or bad people do good things? Absolutely. While our lead has a fairly black and white view of morality, she is forced to even question that as her own actions become at odds with what she thinks is entirely good or bad. Religion, race and sexuality all become key points and the way people see and react to each other is never glossed over. No one is truly good and no one is truly bad, everyone had shades with motivations that create very dynamic and realistic characters. Despite all of this the book does not feel like it attempted too much, at least not in relevant social commentary.

There are few things about this story that after all, struck me as not quite as polished as the rest. There are a few moments where the characters might get a little too lucky, or when a character relationship lacks the depth and development needed for where it ends up going. The only pity here is that the author was so close to what might have been a master piece. Is this a masterful work? Absolutely, but it could have been perfection. At this time you might ask what perfection is and you would be right to do so. This comes down to a matter of taste and for this reviewer, the book is a near 100%, save for some very minor points. I’m not going to bother nit picking here because this is already one of the best books I’ve read.

In conclusion the only reason I can imagine someone shouldn’t read this book is if they do not think they could handle the sexual assault or the more adult content the book contains. If that is the case then skipping is probably for the best, but if you do not fall into those camps then you should definitely pick this book up. Alex White deserves much more praise and recognition than he currently gets and that this is an obscure title is a true tragedy. We can only hope he gets the notice he deserves to he can become the sort of writer who can devote his entire career to it, because frankly the world would be better off with more of his works in it. ...more

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Aug 08, 2017 Yana rated it it was amazing

Dealing with disabilities, sexual assault, murder, torture…not exactly story hour topics. And that is just simplifying the main topic. imagine being me… as analytical as I am trying to not overly analyse and not loose yourself in the process… Well, not happening …
IT IS AMAZING TO READ IT! NEVER LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO. Different doesn’t begin to describe it. I am absolutely smitten with it. Some might find it’s lenght overwellming but with so much story to tell, it’s little wonder that the Dealing with disabilities, sexual assault, murder, torture…not exactly story hour topics. And that is just simplifying the main topic. imagine being me… as analytical as I am trying to not overly analyse and not loose yourself in the process… Well, not happening …
IT IS AMAZING TO READ IT! NEVER LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO. Different doesn’t begin to describe it. I am absolutely smitten with it. Some might find it’s lenght overwellming but with so much story to tell, it’s little wonder that the length is what it is.
The world the reader is thrown into is a heavily stratified one, geographically and socially. The population appear to live in concentric rings within a mountain which is itself being mined for ore. Each ring closer to the floor of the workings also seems to indicate a drop in social class. The higher rings are populated by foremen, engineers and technical specialists, or, even further up, by corporate presidents. The lower rings are filled with workers, slumlords, the baffled and the dispossessed. Those working the mines are protected at shift change by armed guards – though they seem to serve the dual purpose of protecting the miners and effectively restraining them.
This towering society, delving into the pit, is a part of something larger, rising out of Alabama. There are other cities – Jacksonville, Atlanta – within reach, though all seem to be under the nominal authority of “The Con”, a sprawling corporation which effectively owns the continental United States. The Con are ruthless and exploitative, driving their own agenda of profit without much in the way of mercy. For all that though, they’re a part of a thriving urban ecosystem, and the brief piece of their history that is mentioned is one I’d like to see explored further.
Is it worth reading? I think the unique perspective of the protagonist may make it a struggle in some cases, and I’d suggest reading a sample first, if you can. But if the prose works for you, then the world and characters are vivid and interesting, and perhaps a little different from anything else available right now. It’s a good story, in a world I want to see more of, with an ambitiously portrayed main character – I enjoyed it, and I’d recommend you give it a try, to see if you do as well.
A sort of dystopian meets crime thriller ghost story, Every Mountain Made Low is a very interesting addition to bookshelves. I haven’t seen such unflinching diversity for a while, and it was so nice to read about characters who aren’t in the mainstream but don’t even really ponder on the fact that they aren’t. Though things drifted off towards the end for me, I enjoyed reading it for the most part and think the adult crime genre will welcome it happily. ...more

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Feb 12, 2020 Nick Newman rated it really liked it

This has to be one of my best 'books I picked up because the cover was cool'. To me it felt like the lovechild between noir, detective fiction and YA. Our protagonist, Loxley, is a girl who can see ghosts. She also happens to be extremely anxious, queer, and deals with a disability, and she's one of the most realistic characters I've read in years. Her sensory overloads and stimming (repetitive moments like flapping your hands) are well-written, but this isn't just a book about that: they're a ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Nic rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: grimdark, review-books, dystopia, acquired-2016, read-2016

Review originally published in SFX magazine, issue 281 (January 2017). 3.5 stars.

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Basic social interaction is governed by a host of unspoken rules and body language cues that most of us take for granted, because we don’t remember learning how they work. But for Loxley, who may be on the autistic spectrum (the word’s never used in the book), tone of voice and facial expression are parts of a foreign language that she’s spent years learning how to decipher, and that she has to work at every ...more

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Dec 12, 2017 Alison Thompson rated it really liked it

Shelves: scifi, fiction

I was totally captivated by this book and in love with the protagonist until I was about 3/4 done and the story started to drag.
The main character, Loxley, is autistic and the story is told from her point of view. She is a refreshingly different type of protagonist from most scifi, and genuinely interesting.
Unfortunately in the last quarter of the novel the author seems to go the way of so many YA writers. No matter how much Loxley tries to push people away they still stand by her and come to ...more

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Nov 28, 2017 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 03, 2016 Tracey the Lizard Queen rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, fantasy, urban, speculative-fiction, 2016-reads, ghosts, supernatural

Originally reviewed at: http://thequeenofblades.blogspot.co.u...

3.5 stars

Tough one to rate.

It seems there are some unfavourable reviews out there. The biggest gripes appear to be the setting and the protagonist. I think those reviews are not fair. Whilst this is no literary gem, I found the setting pretty good, and Loxley was the best part of the whole book.

Other complaints include: the way the protagonist is treated and ridiculed. Not much attention is paid to the supporting cast. You are not Originally reviewed at: http://thequeenofblades.blogspot.co.u...

3.5 stars

Tough one to rate.

It seems there are some unfavourable reviews out there. The biggest gripes appear to be the setting and the protagonist. I think those reviews are not fair. Whilst this is no literary gem, I found the setting pretty good, and Loxley was the best part of the whole book.

Other complaints include: the way the protagonist is treated and ridiculed. Not much attention is paid to the supporting cast. You are not able to form much of a connection with any of them, so you don't much care what happens to them.

Well, I shall defend this book!

First of all, Loxley has some kind of disability. Closest I can imagine is autism. Now I've never even had a conversation with someone with autism, so I don't know how accurate this portrayal is. But I bought it. This is how I would imagine how a autism sufferer might experience the world.

Loxley perceives the world in a completely different way. It's very difficult for her to put herself in other people's shoes, she doesn't understand facial expressions, she can't fathom why people say one thing and then do/mean another. Since this is a first-person PoV, this is more than enough explanation as to why the secondary characters are 'neglected'. The reader doesn't get to perceive them the traditional way.

Secondly, the setting. Some readers love to know exactly where/when a story is set. They need to know. It's a common theme when scrolling through the reviews of this. I say chill the fuck out and try not to think too much about it. When you've finished you can pick it apart. Relax, if you spend too much time overthinking you'll miss out on complete immersion. Give it time, all will become clear.

Third: the way Loxley is ridiculed for being different. Okay, this makes people uncomfortable. GOOD!! You are supposed to feel this way. Congratulations you are human. Believe it or not, people with disabilities are often treated way worse than Loxley ever is. And that's not even the worst of it. We'll watch the news in a detached way. Starving orphans, desperate refugees, bombs raining down, but we're made uncomfortable by a fictional character being insulted.

Yes, I realize I've gone a little off track. Anyway, I think this book deserves more love. It probably has got a bit too much going on, and yes I think it could have been done a little better. But, overall I enjoyed the journey.

* I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
...more

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Dec 20, 2018 Bird Mc cargar rated it it was amazing

I plucked this from a shelf in a used book store as I was walking past it to look for good reads. It shouted at me, and I respite fed by purchasing it. Wow, I am glad I did.

Lately all the books I try to enjoy bore me with their obvious plots and over-trying to pop culturalize. But this one excited me!

Able to be relevant without being self conscious or proselytizing. I wont give away a thing by telling you it has a unique protaganist and a page turning pace.
If you fancy a dystopian setting ...more

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Jun 05, 2017 Lila rated it liked it

Girl finds trouble with her family inheritance of interaction with palpable ghosts.

- Unique narrator perspective. This was very engaging in the first half of the book. I had a difficult time putting this story down due to her perspective as what I would imagine is a representation similar to Aspergers.
- Fast paced story with character depth (although this feels muddled closer to the end).
- Unique genre - ghosts? fantasy? science fantasy? science fiction? dystopian?

Worth a read if purely for ...more

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May 14, 2018 Emilie rated it liked it

This novel is really well written and a pretty great story. I really enjoyed the protagonist's characterization and how the author portrayed how Loxley saw the world and experienced everything. However, I was slightly disappointed because the summary of the story made it sound different from how the events actually played out. Some of the characters also seemed to just exist in the story for the sole purpose of just having more conflicts. It was an interesting read, I won't deny the that, but I ...more

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Oct 21, 2017 Rob rated it did not like it

Confession: I’ve been “reading” this book for 3 weeks because it is so dreadfully boring. Also, I stopped reading with 80 pages to go because, frankly, I don’t give a damn what happens.

There is not one single likable character in this entire book. Also, if you’re like me, and thinking it was going to be interesting because she can see ghosts...I assure you, it isn’t. If you want a good read about someone who can see the dead, burn this book now, and go read Odd Thomas immediately (book 1 of ...more

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